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3 Biggest Winners (& 2 Losers) From Celtics' Preseason

Boston tips off regular season vs. New York Knicks on Wednesday

By Nick Galle

Kristaps Porzingis was one of many new additions who made their presence felt throughout the Celtics' five preseason contests.
Kristaps Porzingis was one of many new additions who made their presence felt throughout the Celtics' five preseason contests. / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
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Winner: Neemias Queta

Preseason averages: 9.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.7 assists

Losing Robert Williams III, Blake Griffin and Grant Williams this offseason left some holes in the Celtics' frontcourt, and no one looks more worthy of being able to fill one of them than Queta.

Queta is currently on a two-way contract, but it may not be long until that gets converted to a regular deal. He made a blistering 86.7 percent (13-for-15) of his field-goal attempts in the preseason and may have put Luke Kornet out of a job.

Fouling seems to be Queta's kryptonite, but he did cut down on that after picking up five personals in just 14 minutes during a 114-107 loss to the Knicks on Oct. 9. For a guy who was named to the NBA G League All-Defense team last season, we probably don't need to sweat those foul issues too much — the guy can defend, and the more he adjusts to the speed of the NBA game the better he'll be about fouls.

A second-round pick for the Sacramento Kings in 2021, Queta has only appeared in 20 NBA games over his career so far, but it's not due to a lack of promise.

He was All-NBA G League First Team last season. And now it looks like the 24-year-old is perfectly poised to make the leap and become a solid rotational option at the highest level.

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